Article carrier



A. P. HALL ARTICLE CARRIER Jan. 4, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1964 INVENTOR. ARTHUR R HALL ,Zw mm FIG. 2

ATTORNEY A. P. HALL ARTICLE CARRIER Jan. 4, 1966 Filed Feb. 27, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

FIG. 6

INVENTOR. ARTHUR F? HALL ATTORNEY Jan. 4, 1966 A. P. HALL 3,227,333

ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Feb. 2?, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

I INVENTOR. 36 ARTHUR P. HALL A TTORNE Y United States Patent Filed Feb. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 347,779 9 Claims. (Cl. 224-26) This invention relates to an improved article carrier and to the method of constructing the same. Active outdoors people often find that the pockets of conventional clothing are inadequate or inconvenient. As an example of the winter sports, consider the problem a skier has in reaching an, object situated under layers of heavy. winter clothing. Another example from the summer may be more graphic. Consider the problems encountered by the swimmer in transporting bulky objects such as a wallet or car keys.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an article carrier consisting of a bandoleer and pocket whichmay be used in addition to or in place of conventional clothing pockets.

Another object of this invention is to provide an article carrier which may be easily and economically manufactured. e

The means by which the foregoing objects and other advantages, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are accomplished as set forth in the following specification and claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings dealing with a basic embodiment of the ;-present invention. Reference is made now to the accomlpanying. drawings in which:

I FIG URE 1 illustrates the invention after the first step in construction has been completed;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the completed invention in the expanded position;

FIGURE 3 is a section view of the invention through line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE. 4 is a plan view of typical materials used'to construct the invention;

FIGURE 5 illustrates the completed invention in the normal first folded position;

FIGURE 6 is a side view of the completed invention as shown in FIGURE 5;

1 FIGURE 7 is a plan view of materials used for alternate constructions of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom view of the first alternate constructions of the invention;-

FIGURE 9 is a side view of the first alternate construction as shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a bottom view of the second alternate construction of the invention;

FIGURE 11 is a side view of the second alternate construction as shown in FIGURE 10.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the article carrier is constructed of two basic elements. These are flexible sheet 11 and a flexible belt 12. Sheet 11 may be of any suitable geometric shape. This particular embodiment is using adjacent rhombic shapes cut from any suitable flexible material. The belt 12 is merely a strip of flexible material of suitable dimensions. Both elements are shown in FIG. 3.

The sheet 11 is placed in an open position. The belt 12 is placed along two adjoining edges of the backing web 13 through slot 16 which has been cut between the backing web 13 and outer web 14 along the line of the fold 15. The seams between edges 17 and 18 of the backing web 13 are then interconnected to the adjacent portions of belt 12 by any suitable means such as sewing or glueing.

The sheet 11 is then folded upon itself along the line of the fold so that backing web 13 and outer web 14 are adjacent with the fold 19 forming the closed border of "ice the upper peak of the article carrier. Edges 22 and 23 are interconnected to the adjacent portions of belt 12. It is necessary that a portion of these seams follow the oblique path across belt 12 as indicated by broken lines 25 and 26.

The article carrier is now substantially as shown in FIG. 2. The only steps remaining are to close seams 27 and 28 interconnecting the backing web 13, belt 12, and outer web 14. The open border of the upper peak, as defined by edge 20 of backing web 13 and edge 21 of outer web 14, forms the access opening. This may be closed by any suitable means such as the zipper 24.

The belt 12 may be a continuous or discontinuous loop as indicated in FIG. 2 or it may have separable connecting means such as the buckle 29 shown in FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken through line 33 of FIG. 2. The article carrier is shown in its extended position as it would be just prior to inserting an article therein. It is obvious that with webs 13 and 14 constructed of flexible material the carrier could expand from this position to maximum volume.

FIGURE 4 is a plan View of the materials used to construct the article carrier. It should be here noted that it is not necessary that the sheet 11 be formed of two adjacent parallelogram or rhombic figures. The only requirement is obvious. That is webs 13 and 14 must be identical in size and shape. An example of a modification of the basic invention would be to have curved edges in place of edges 17, 18, 22 and 23.

The completed article carrier is shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, in its normal first folded position. It is necessary to note that as here shown the upper peak has been folded so that the upper and lower portions of the outer web are adjacent. When normally not in use the upper peak will hang adjacent either web along a line of fold defined by points 3% and 31 which are the initial points of connection between the webs and the belt. The expanded position of the article carrier is indicated by the dotted lines.

FIGURE 7 is a plan View of the materials used to construct the first or second alternate forms of the article carrier. A single sheet of flexible material forms backing web 13 and outer web 14. When folded along the line 32 the fold becomes one border of the pocket. It is obvious that the webs may be made of separate sheets and interconnected along the border here defined by the fold.

The first alternate construction requires the addition of suitable tabs 33 and 34 to either web. These tabs may be of any geometric shape to be determined by the overall design of the article carrier. They are here shown as part of web 14. FIGURE 8 shows the assembled first alternate construction illustrating how the addition of the tabs increases the capacity of the receptacle. FIGURE 9 is a side view of the alternate construction as shown in FIGURE 8.

The second alternate construction uses tabs on adjacentsides of both webs. These tabs are shown as tabs 33 and 34 on web 14 and tabs 35 and 36 on web 13. The tabs are interconnected along adjoining edges to construct the carrier as shown in FIGURES 10 and 11. Having tabs on both webs will allow for accordion like expansion of the receptacle and will give maximum volume.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An expansible pocket defined by a plurality of borders consisting of a backing web, an outer web, and a body encompassing belt positioned therebetween along two adjoining borders, said webs and belt being interconnected along contiguous seams, said webs being formed by folding a single sheet of flexible material, the fold being another pocket border, and the remaining border being open to provide an access opening.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which a closure means is provided for the access opening.

3. An expansible pocket and bandoleer combination comprising a backing web, an outer web, and a body encompassing belt, said backing and outer webs being constructed of a single sheet of material so folded as to form both webs and one border of the expansible pocket, said belt being positioned along two adjacent open seams of the backing and outer webs and being interconnected therebetween, said belt thus defining a second and third border of said pocket, and the remaining border being an access opening.

4. The expansible pocket according to claim 3 in which a closure means is provided for the access opening.

5. An expansible pocket and bandoleer combination comprising a backing web, an outer web, and a body encompassing belt, said webs being formed by folding a single flexible sheet of material upon itself to define the side walls and one border of the pocket, said belt being positioned between adjacent edges of two other borders of said pocket and being interconnected therebetween, the remaining border providing an access opening, said pocket when not in use being in a normal first folded position with a peak thereof being above the belt and being defined by the access and folded borders hanging in a fold next to either web, and said pocket when in use being adapted to expand into a second position with said peak upright between said belt.

6. The expansible pocket according to claim 5 in which the access opening is provided with a closure means.

7. An article carrier comprising a flexible receptacle, the side walls of said receptacle being formed from a single sheet of flexible material folded upon itself along the junctions between two parallelogram sections of the sheet with the resulting fold defining a closed portion of the upper part of the receptacle, a body attaching belt formed of flexible material positioned along two adjoining borders, said walls and belt being interconnected along contiguous seams forming the lower part of the receptacle, the remaining border being an access opening and remaining border of the upper part of the receptacle, said receptacle when not in use being in a normal first folded position adjacent either web with said upper part hanging about a fold defined by the points of initial interconnection between the belt and the webs, and said pocket when in use being adapted to expand into a second position with said upper part extending upwards from said lower part allowing maximum capacity.

8. An article carrier comprising a flexible receptacle, the front and rear webs of said receptacle being formed from a single sheet of flexible material folded upon itself with the resulting fold defining a closed portion of an upper part of the receptacle, a body attached belt formed of flexible material positioned along two adjoining borders of said webs and being interconnected therebetwcen forming a lower part of the receptacle, the remaining border being an access opening and remaining border of the upper part of said receptacle, said receptacle when not in use being in a normal first folded position with said upper part folded against said lower part with the line of the fold being defined by the points of web and belt contact, said receptacle when in use being in an expanded position with said upper part extending away from said lower part allowing maximum receptacle capacity.

9. An expansible pocket and bandoleer combination comprising a backing web, an outer web, and a body encompassing belt, said belt being positioned between adjacent edges of said Webs and being interconnected therebetween forming two borders of said pocket, said webs being interconnected along another edge forming a third border of said pocket, the remaining border providing an access opening, said pocket when not in use assuming a normal first folded position with a peak thereof being above the belt and being defined by the access opening and the web-to-web border hanging in a fold next to either web, and said pocket when in use being adapted to expand into a second position with said peak upright between said belt.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,189 5/1934 Ottinger -42 2,317,176 4/1943 Byrd 22426.9 2,414,615 1/1947 Slotkin 150-32 2,608,228 8/1952 Rose -1- 150-30 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Examiner. 

1. AN EXPANSIBLE POCKET DEFINED BY A PLURALITY OF BORDERS CONSISTING OF A BACKING WEB, AN OUTER WEB, AND A BODY ENCOMPASSING BELT POSITIONED THEREBETWEEN ALONG TWO ADJOINING BORDERS, SAID WEBS AND BELT BEING INTERCONNECTED ALONG CONTIGUOUS SEAMS, SAID WEBS BEING FORMED BY FOLDING A SINGLE SHEET OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, THE FOLD BEING ANOTHER POCKET BORDER, AND THE REMAINING BORDER BEING OPEN TO PROVIDE AN ACCESS OPENING. 